Officials said that due to the severity of the fire, heat, and smoke, they weren't able to do a sweep and rescue inside. Mutual aid was called in from Poquonnock Bridge and Old Mystic Fire Department among others.

While they battled the blaze, they found an adult woman on the second floor of the residence. The woman's name has not been released.

Neighbor Michael Burdick told The Day newspaper the woman's boyfriend called him from her apartment saying she was creating a disturbance and throwing items out of the home. He says the fire broke out after the boyfriend had left the apartment with the woman's two children.

Burdick said he and the boyfriend tried to rescue the woman, but the flames pushed them back.=

The fire's cause is under investigation. The State Police Office of the State Fire Marshall were called in to help detectives and the fire department with investigating the cause of the fire.

The local chapter of the American Red Cross was on site to assist with those residents who were displaced by the fire.